Frenchman Louis Rigolly broke the world land speed record in 1904, driving at 103.561 miles per hour. Sir Malcolm Campbell broke the record again in 1925, driving at 150.33 miles per hour. Other events include the lowest temperature on record in 1983, the first train robbery in the American Old West in 1873, and the release of the final Harry Potter book in 2007. The first female prime minister, Sirimavo Bandaranaike, was elected in Sri Lanka in 1960, and Ernest Hemingway, a notable American writer, was born in 1899.
The world land speed record was broken by Frenchman Louis Rigolly. (1904) Rigolly was the first to drive a car faster than 100 miles per hour (161 kilometers per hour). He drove his Gobron-Grille race car at 103.561 miles per hour (166.665 kilometers per hour), finishing the 0.62 mile (1 kilometer) beach course in Ostend, Belgium, in just 21.6 seconds. He held the record for three months.
The world land speed record was again broken by Sir Malcolm Campbell. (1925) Campbell was the first to drive a car faster than 150 miles per hour (241 kilometers per hour). In this race, he averaged 150.33 miles per hour (242 kilometers per hour), riding a ray of sunshine at Pendine Sands in Wales. Campbell broke nine land speed records and was also the first person to drive a car more than 300 miles per hour (482.8 kilometers per hour).
Earth’s lowest temperature on record has been recorded. (1983) Scientists at Vostok Station in Antarctica measured the temperature at -128.6 degrees Fahrenheit (-89.2 degrees Celsius).
The first train robbery of the American Old West takes place. (1873) Jesse James and his gang derailed the Rock Island Express train at Adair, Iowa, killing the engineer. They escaped with $3,000 US dollars.
The very first showdown of the American Old West took place. (1865) Shooting between Wild Bill Hickok and Davis Tutt occurred in a street market in Springfield, Missouri. Hickok killed Tutt in a quick duel. It is the first recorded showdown of its kind.
Captain Virgil Grissom became the second American to orbit the Earth. (1961) “Gus” Grissom flew the Liberty Bell 7 into a sub-orbit of the Earth; he was also the first person to fly into space twice. He was killed in a pre-launch test accident with the Apollo 1 mission, in which the entire crew died.
The latest book in the Harry Potter series has been released. (2007) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows marked the seventh and final installment in a series that has repeatedly set records for best-selling books. The books have been translated into nearly 70 languages and have sold more than 400 million copies. The books were also made into a film series, which set the record for the highest-grossing film series in history.
The first battle of Bull Run has occurred. (1861) The first land battle of the American Civil War occurred at Manassas Junction, Virginia. Although the Confederate army was considered the victor, the battle was much bloodier than either side expected. In all, 847 soldiers were killed, 2,706 were wounded, and 1,325 went missing.
Alexandria in Egypt was destroyed by a tsunami. (365) A magnitude 8.0 earthquake caused the giant wave – more than 100 feet (30.5 meters) high – that killed more than 5,000 people within the city and 45,000 in the suburbs. The wave stranded ships more than 2 miles (3.22 kilometers) inland.
The world’s first female prime minister and first female head of government was elected. (1960) Sirimavo Bandaranaike was elected prime minister of Sri Lanka, a position she held three times: from 1960 to 1965, from 1970 to 1977 and from 1994 to 2000.
Ernest Hemingway is born. (1899) Hemingway was one of the most influential American writers and journalists of the 20th century. He won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 20 and the Nobel Prize in literature in 1953. His most notable works include A Farewell to Arms, The Sun Also Rises, For Whom the Bell Tolls and The Old Man and the Sea, for which won the Pulitzer.
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